Ohio EPA Sets Record Year with Nearly $1 Billion to Improve Water Quality in 2017$1.7 Billion Set for 2018Ohio EPA issued more than $936 million this year to finance projects that upgrade drinking water infrastructure and improve the quality of Ohio’s lakes, rivers and streams — more than ever before in the 28-year history of the state’s revolving loan programs. All Ohio EPA loans are provided to communities at below market rates, and this year resulted in a combined savings of more than $150 million for Ohio’s counties, cities and villages.“It’s important for Ohioans to know that Ohio EPA is helping communities and business with compliance, technical and financial assistance,” Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler said. “We were able to make this nearly billion dollar investment in water quality improvements because these funds are carefully managed, and we are meeting frequently with county commissioners and mayors to understand their community needs and build positive working relationships between state and local governments.”Notable for 2017:

Improvements to wastewater infrastructure (which affect the health of Ohio’s surface waters flowing into Lake Erie and the Ohio River) received $861 million this year;

$65 million was directed toward improving Ohio’s public water systems;

$10 million was issued for projects that restore wetlands and counter the loss of Ohio’s natural water resources;

$36 million was provided in principal-forgiveness financing at zero percent interest (meaning borrowers are not required to repay the loans);

$13 million was distributed across 51 counties for home sewage treatment system (septic) replacement and upgrades;

17 loans were issued for large projects of $10 million or greater including combined sewer overflow projects in Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Franklin, Lorain, Lucas, and Summit counties along with large wastewater treatment plant improvements in Miami and Henry counties; and

$258 million was awarded for projects to separate combined sewer overflows in the Lake Erie watershed.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent; large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent; and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.

More rules won’t help Grand Lake St. Marys, Kasich says. He says a handful of farmers are recalcitrant in cleaning up lake.By Laura A. BischoffColumbus Bureau

COLUMBUS – Gov.-elect John Kasich urged farmers to self-regulate and police one another when it comes to protecting the environment, including Grand Lake St. Marys. “I am not big on imposing rules and regulations on 100 people when we need to take one person out and put him in the stockade and throw some fruit and vegetables at him,” Kasich told members of the Ohio Farm Bureau on Friday. “We are committed to improving the situation at Grand Lake St. Marys in a rational, common sense way,” Kasich said. He noted that his newly appointed agriculture director, Jim Zehringer, a Republican lawmaker and farmer from Fort Recovery, will lead the effort. Over the last two summers, the 12,700-acre man-made lake suffered from algae outbreaks that led to Ohio Environmental Protection Agency advisories to avoid contact with the water. The algae blooms are caused by run off of manure and fertilizers from watershed lands feeding the lake — mostly farms. Kasich told reporters on Friday: “There are a handful of farmers who are recalcitrances. What I don’t want to have to do is punish everybody for the sins of a few. So, we got to go whack their knuckles first. And that’s what Zehringer will do. Unfortunately, if they don’t want to clean it up, we won’t have a lot of choice. We’ve got a lot of farmers down there doing a lot of talking to the people that don’t want to cooperate ... clearly, something has to be done at that lake.”

Really, Gov. Kasich, a whack on the knuckles for a $51 millon+ loss to our community. the people while the agribusiness﻿

"The public was asked not to get on the lake, not even in a boat, in 2010. The water was so polluted by the phosphorous laden run-off from farms in the Grand Lake St. Marys watershed," explained Guardians President, Kate Anderson. "What part of this situation does the Kasich Administration not understand. This community has been economically damaged, due to the purposely destruction of Grand Lake St. Marys."

The unabated pollution of Grand Lake St. Marys has impacted the lake community in the following way: 1) Loss business revenue by 40-50% and lost jobs, 2) Loss property values of lake related properties in the sum of $51million, 3) Toxins levels reached their highest level in 2017 of 193.8ppb, and 4) Prosecution of very few polluters by the Soil and Water Conservation District._____________________________________________________________

You have destroyed property values in this area." Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and local banks have refused purchasing mortgages on many lake related properties. Practically, the only way to sell properties relating to the lake, is through a cash only buyer - Gov. Kasich, that is the Federal Govt. stating the Grand Lake St. Marys is too polluted for the Feds to invest in mortgages. You have effectively devalued properties of most homeowners.

Governor Kasichpromised our community that he WOULD clean up the lake. Instead, he supportsthe large animal operations that continue to pollute this lake and refuses to clean-up Grand Lake St. Marys.

Governor Kasich - Would you let your children play in water so polluted that it hosted one of the worst blue-green algae blooms in Ohio? In 2010, the blue-green algae bloom covered the 1,300+ acres. The public was advised to have no contact with the water and to stay off the lake. In June 2017, toxins reached at its highest level at 193.8 ppb.

Governor Kasich - How can you clean up Lake Erie, when you can't clean up Grand Lake St. Marys and it's a much smaller lake? No appropriate funding nor aggressive action has been taken by the Kasich administration to stop the pollution. This community deserves a complete and permanent solution for the clean-up of Grand Lake St. Marys in 2017.

As a reminder, photos of the 2010 full lake blue green algae bloom.

The microcystins are increasing and its is beginning and is quickly approaching the 2010 level which caused the lake-wide bloom.

Guardians of Grand Lake St. Marys (GOGOLSM) is working to stop the pollution of Grand Lake St. Marys and force all responsible parties to clean up the lake and keep it clean.